Course Meeting Times
Lectures: 1 session / week, 3 hours / session
Prerequisites
There are no prerequisites for this course.
Course Description
This course introduces students to the spatial, legal, economic, social and political structures that created apartheid in South Africa, and to the factors that led to the collapse of the racist order. We will examine the many forms of Black oppression and, also, the various forms of resistance to apartheid. Some of the themes we will explore include industrialization and the formation of the Black working classes; the constructions of race, ethnicities, and sexualities; land alienation and rural struggles; township poverty and violence; Black education; the African National Congress; and the Black Consciousness Movement.
This is an introductory course, and requires no prior knowledge of African history. The course is structured around discussions and you are required to contribute to the discussion.
Required Texts
Worden, Nigel. The Making of Modern South Africa. 5th ed. Wiley-Blackwell, 2012. ISBN: 9780470656334. [Preview with Google Books]
Marks, Shula, ed. Not Either an Experimental Doll: The Separate Worlds of Three South African Women. Indiana University Press, 1988. ISBN: 9780253348432. [Preview with Google Books]
All other reading materials can be found in the Readings and Videos section.
Grading Policy
| ACTIVITIES | PERCENTAGES |
|---|---|
| Student-led discussions. Each student will be expected to lead TWO discussion sections by crafting four main questions for class discussion each time. | 5% |
| Class participation | 35% |
| One take-home essay exam | 10% |
| Two short papers | 15% each |
| Final paper | 20% |
For more information on the assignments listed above, see the Assignments section.
